SA-TIED research on gender-based pay inequality makes news in South Africa

A working paper from the SA-TIED programme is the basis for an article on the gender wage gap in South Africa. The paper, titled 'Distributional changes in the gender wage gap in post-apartheid South African labour market' by Jacqueline Mosomi examines the evolution of worker's earnings in South Africa since 1994 in order to calculate the difference between what men and women make. 

On average, that divide has fallen over time but still remains substantial as women working in South Africa earn 16% less than men do. On average, woman are also more likely than men to work in lower paying occupations, despite having, on average, higher levels of education. In lower-paying jobs the difference between what men and women earn is not likely to be that great, but in median income positions the gap is bigger than the average. In high paying jobs, the difference between what men and women earn has fluctuated a lot over time, sometimes being less than the average and sometimes being more than the average. Since 2007, this gap has been growing rather than shrinking. 

For full coverage of the paper, read the story at BusinessLive from Claire Bisseker, the economics editor at the Financial Times, or pick up this week's copy of the FT's print edition and turn to page 29. 

The research has also been mentioned in a story from the Mail and Guard ('Why the gender pay gap persists')  and has been covered by Business Day ('SAs gender pay gap shrinks dramatically'). 

 To read the research brief of the paper visit this page.

To download the working paper click here.